What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word “occult”?  Satan?  Witches?  Sacrifices?  Mostly all of these images have been created and implanted into memory by organized religion, social stigmas, fear, and of course Hollywood.  However not many actually know what it is the occult really means and represents.  Each week I will be taking one aspect, item, notable figure involved with the occult or spiritualism in any sense, and will attempt to help people understand a little more what this is all about.  First off let’s jump right off and as that question on everyone’s mind at the moment, What exactly is the occult?

The occult is essentially and umbrella term, encompassing and covering all things obscure, most often ancient, and taboo.  Derived from the Latin word occultus this term is also very easily interchangeable with terms like esoteric and arcane.  None of these terms are interchangeable with the word evil in any light, no matter how you want to twist it.  Occultus translates to of the hidden, Esoteric means enlightened, initiated, spiritually evolved, and Arcane means mysterious, secret, and obscure.  Taken from the vantage point of the term esoteric, this could easily apply to any religious figurehead, no matter what the denomination.

So when people practice the occult are they looking to always invoke demons for world domination?  No, they are simply looking for answers in places inside themselves and others that have been hidden from the eyes and minds of humanity.

Now that we all have a basic understanding of the occult, and have shrugged off some stigmas lets look at one of the most commonly bastardized images of it, Baphomet.

On Friday the 13, 1307 King Philip of France captured and tortured many members of the Knights Templar in an attempt to extract confessions from them.  The name Baphomet was mentioned several times as one of the idols that they had been worshiping, however, none of the descriptions given by a number of the Templar matched.  Some claimed Baphoment was a severed head, some claimed it was a cat, and others said it was a head with three faces.  However, no matter what their confessions to King Philip were, upon studies done upon documents like “The Templar Rule”, no mention of Baphomet has been found.

(Freemasons Worshiping Baphomet this image is also known as the Taxil Hoax.)

Baphomet has also been linked to Freemason worship, however this representation portrayed Levi’s drawing with a downward pointing pentagram…a stark contrast to his microcosmic man representation of the upward pointing pentagram.  This is Freemason worship has been labeled as the Taxil hoax, when this image was published on the cover of his Ultra-Catholic anti-Masonic expose of Freemasonry Les Mystères de la franc-maçonnerie dévoilés.

The image we have of Baphomet was immortalized in 1854 when Eliphas Levi drew his own representation of Baphomet for his book “Dogmas and Rituals of High Magic”.  His image, clearly resembling Pan and also The Devil in early decks of Tarot cards, is said by Levi to be a representation of the absolute in symbolic form.

According to the description he gave himself…

“The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of hermetism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the other male like the ones of the androgyn of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. The flame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it. The beast’s head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi-circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyn arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.”

(Above is the image that is used in Satanism for worship of Baphomet, this is also why people find this figure synonymous with evil.)

As you can see, there are stark contrasts about this figure that extend to all different areas of the occult and religion.  Most of what we have come to fear that this idol represents has been primarily based on hoaxes devised by incredibly strong followers of religions who criticise others.

For further reading up on Baphomet check out the Wiki page [here].

YouTube

Archives

Categories

Random Posts

• Let The Right One In
• Want Reassurance?
• The Most Creative Costume
• I H8 U

Recent Comments

• forex robot on How Do You Write – Characters
• han on The Occult And Baphomet
• Tony Garone on Zoroastrianism
• DJO on Interview: Jaysin Osterkamp
• jayvee esteban on The Pentagram

Blogroll

• Andrew Marcec
• Culture Popped.com
• Darth Jayder Comics
• Doug Hogan
• Film Munkey
• io9
• Jessica Morrison
• My Remote Radio